Grain-separator.



` No! 738,699. A 9 PATENTBD SEPT. 9,1909.. 19s; RINKBR.

I GRAIN SBPARATOR.

APPLICATION FILED MAYH, 1901.

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Patented September 8, 1.9013..

vPnTErrr OFFICE.

ROBERT SAMUEL RINKER, OE RINKERTON, VIRGINIA.

GRAIN-SEPARATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters-atent N o. 738,699, dated September 8, 1903.

Appnanon ined May 7,1901.`

To @ZZ whom tmay concern.:V

Beit known that I, ROBERT SAMUEL RIN- KER, a citizen of the United States, residing at UIA Rinkerton, in the county of Shenandoah and State of ,Virginia, have invented a new and useful Grain-Separator, of which the following is a specification.

My invention is an improved grain-separaf tor; and it consists in the peculiar construc` tion and combination of devices hereinafter fully set forth and claimed. e

Theobject' of my invention is to provide a simple and improved machine which is efcockle andi garlic seeds from wheat or other` fective in separating various kinds of grain and is peculiarly adapted for separating grain, as well as for separating various grains.

e In the accompanying drawings,Figure 1 is a perspective view of a grain-separator e1nbodying my improvements Fig. 2 is a detail transverse sectional View of the same. Fig.

f 3 is a similar viewtaken on a plane at right angles -to that of Fig. 2.

My invention in its simplest form comprises an endless traveling belt or apron 1, which is inclined at a suitable angle transversely, re-

` ceivers 2 under the belt or apron, and a feeder rating elementto discharge seedson the latter near its upper e side and near one end of its upper lead, so

that the seeds in rolling moreor less slowly, according to their shape, will be discharged from the endless traveling belt or apron into the receivers under the saine, the more nearly spherical seeds or grains being discharged4 first, owing to the greater facility with which `they roll down the inclined surface of the endless traveling apron or belt which formsthe separating element, and those seeds or grainswhich jdepart from the spherical form rolling more slowly down the inclined surface of the said endless traveling separating element, and hence being carried farther thereby before they are discharged therefrom into appropriate receivers. Thus cockie, which is substantially spherical in form, will be first discharged from the inclined traveling sepa- Wfheat, whichis less spherserial No. 59,172. (No model.)y

oats, which are more elongated than rye andmore nearly approach the conical form, will be discharged from the inclined traveling sep- .may be of any suitable construction, and on the same I mount a series of endless traveling transversely-inclined separating elements which extend transversely of the frame and are disposed at a suitable distance apart and one below another throughout the series.

A roller i is mounted in suitable bearings 54 on one side of the frame and is common to all of the belts or aprons 1. A handle 6 is here shown for rotating said roller and hence causing the said belts or aprons to move in the direction indicated by the arrow. Each of the belts 'l passes over an independent roller 7, one of which is provided for each of said belts or aprons, the said `independent rollers 7 being mounted in suitable movable bearings 8 on the side of the frame opposite the roller 3, and the said frame being provided with suitable brackets 9, in which operate set-screws 10 for adjusting said movable bearings 8, hence enabling the rollers 7 to be `adj usted as may be required to keep the belts or aprons 1 stretched to the requisite tension.

The receivers 2 are inclined troughs disposed side by side in the frame 3 and under the endless traveling separating belts or aprons. Suitable receptacles 11 should be placed at the lower discharge ends of said troughs.`

A hopper l2 is disposed above the upper side of the frame 3, at one side thereof, and from the bottom of the said hopper leads a feedtube 13, provided with a series of spouts 14, each of which discharges on-the upper lead of one of the endless traveling separating belts or aprons near the inner end and near the upper side thereof. In the lower side of said feed-tube .and in the throats of said spouts lil are suitable screens l5, which vary in the size of their meshes and in the prac` tical operation of my invention effect a partial separation of the grains before the same are fed onto the endless traveling inclined? separating belts or aprons. A suitable seedvalve 16 is provided at the upper end of the feed-tube 13 for regulating the flow of the IOS seeds or grains from the hopper to the said feed-tube.

A suitable scraper, as at I7, Fig. 2, may be employed to operate on the separating belts or aprons to scrape adhering seeds and particles therefrom and prevent the same from being dropped from the under sides of the separating belts or aprons onto the receivers.

While my improved separator may be used in any manner desirable for the separation o f grains o1' seeds, asin mills or the like, it Will be found particularly useful when run in' connection with a threshing-machine.

Having thus described my invention, I claim- 1. Inaseparating-macl1ine,the combination of a supporting-frame, a plurality of endless traveling laterally-inclined separating-belts disposed transversely on the frame at a suitable distance apart and one lower than another throughout the series, rollers to support and operate said separating-belts, having their bearings on the frame, one of said rollers being common to all of said separating-belts, means to feed the latter, anda plurality'of receiving-troughs, disposed side by side and under said separating-belts, sub-y stantially as described.

2. In a separating-machine,the combination of a supporting-frame, a plurality of endless traveling laterally-inclined separating-belts disposed transversely on the frame at a suitable distance apart and one lower than another throughout the series, rollers to support and operate said separating-belts, having their bearings on the frame, one of said rollers being common to all of said separating-belts, a feeder comprising a hopper, an inclined feed-tube leading therefrom and having spouts discharging onto said separatingbelts, said spouts having screens of appropriate mesh therein, and a plurality of receiving-troughs, vdisposed side by vside and under said separating-belts, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

ROBERT SAMUEL RINKER.

Witnesses:

C. L. BOWMAN, OHAs. WELLARD. 

